Ardern is 42. Sturgeon is 52.
Ardern became a New Zealand Labour politician in 2008 & Prime Minister in October 2017. Sturgeon became a Scottish Nationalist MP in 1999 & First Minister in 2014.
Ardern gained Bachelor of Communication Studies in politics and public relations & worked as a researcher in the office of Prime Minister Helen Clarke. Sturgeon gained a Bachelor of Law & worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel Law and Money Advice Centre in Glasgow.
Both women have chosen to retire almost simultaneously without being pushed. Both have been very straightforward & honest about their reasons for leaving. Both have been very influential at home & on the world stage. Both handled the Covid pandemic extremely well. Both have been unique & very competent leaders. In particular both have been excellent communicators. Unlike so many of their male counterparts, both believe in answering questions simply & clearly. They know what they believe in & are conviction politicians.
They both proved that it is possible to do a very difficult political job well. I'm sure mistakes were made by both, but equally they would both accept that. Again unlike so many male politicians. Both recognise the price paid for doing such a high profile job, both on themselves & their friends & families.
They have both been leaders it is possible to admire & have left a legacy they can be proud of. They earned the trust of the public. They both have a vision & a moral compass. Would that were more commonplace in UK politics. They have been tested & not found wanting. On the whole their legacy is a positive one & they will both be missed.
It would be nice to think that whoever replaces them had similar qualities. But those qualities are in very short supply in the political world today.
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